LW5115 - A Legal Lens: Seeing The Law Differently

You will have an opportunity to learn through a combination of large group supervised hub sessions, seminars, tutor guided independent learning and independent learning. The Module adopts a student enquiry approach and requires you to conduct research into themes and organise material for presentation.

Large Group Sessions
Rather than lectures, A Legal Lens: Seeing the Law differently uses large group sessions to introduce each theme and offers you an opportunity to independently and collaboratively research themes for presentation during seminars. Whole group sessions are supervised sessions in collaborative working spaces to enable you to work in groups or independently. A tutor will be on hand to assist and guide your research. These sessions require you to demonstrate your ability to locate and make effective use of source materials. You are expected to engage in independent and, at times, directed learning in consolidation of work done in preparation for, and during, seminars.

Small Group Sessions
The small group seminars cover a range of activities but focus on student presentations on your chosen themes. Through this you will learn how to effectively organize and communicate information orally.

Independent learning
This is an important aspect of the Module which encourages you to identify further reading and research to provide deep and broad knowledge and understanding of the chosen themes.

Assessment of learning
Your learning will be assessed at the end of the Module through a portfolio which includes two short oral presentations or an oral presentation and the portfolio journal. You are expected to complete the two presentations and the portfolio journal, but you can choose to be assessed by a portfolio that includes either 2 presentations or one presentation and the portfolio journal. The tasks in the large group sessions act as preparation for the work produced for the final assessment and you will receive formative feedback in large group sessions. Your oral presentations will be supported by a portfolio/reflective journal which you build throughout the Module.

The University supports you in learning and research with an excellent library and teaching facilities, access to on-line legal databases and resources and appropriate software.

This Module is designed and managed by the Module Tutors who is responsible for guiding you in your engagement and learning. Relevant materials and instructions are accessible through the Module Blackboard site, maintained by the Module Tutors.

Extensive use is made of the Blackboard to facilitate discussions between you and the Module Tutors, to provide materials, make announcements and to highlight recent developments and relevant research materials.

You may contact the Module Tutors if you encounter any difficulties.

Academic support is available through formative feedback from tutors on your oral presentations and on summative assignments.

At programme level you will be supported by the Programme Leader who provides pastoral support throughout the academic year.

The Programme Administration and Student Liaison teams are responsible for the non-academic administration of the Module. They will contact you throughout the semester with details about the assignment and other relevant issues.

All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. The reading list for this module can be found at: http://readinglists.northumbria.ac.uk
(Reading List service online guide for academic staff this containing contact details for the Reading List team – http://library.northumbria.ac.uk/readinglists)

Knowledge & Understanding:
• You will demonstrate a depth of knowledge on a specialist subject area and demonstrates an ability to synthesise relevant doctrinal, policy or theoretical standpoints within the context of the subject area.

Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:
• You will be able to organise and communicate information orally or in writing and adjust the communication for the purpose of the audience.


Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):
• You will develop independent thinking skills and curiosity that challenges your own thinking as well as the thinking of others.

Formative assessment
You will work in groups to give presentations on the different themes. You will deliver a minimum of two formative oral presentations on the chosen themes on which you will receive individual feedback from seminar tutors and peer feedback in the seminar group, based upon agreed assessment criteria.

Summative assessment
Your summative assessment will be a portfolio. The portfolio consists of two elements:
a) a 5-minute individual presentation and
b) a 5-minute individual presentation or
a reflective journal

This assignment aims to encourage a deep and critical approach to learning, developing an ability to think widely about the issues presented within the Module and to explore these in-line with directed and independent learning.

Assessment criteria will be provided to enable you to understand what is expected of you and how you will be judged on your performance.

Feedback is be given in accordance with the Law Schools’ Undergraduate Feedback policy currently in force. You will receive feedback on the formative assessment, as detailed above. Summative feedback will be available in written form and orally from Module tutors. In addition, there will opportunities for feedback to your questions in seminars.

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A Legal Lens: Seeing the Law differently encourages you to consider how the law intersects with other academic disciplines and brings a unique approach by exploring how using a ‘legal lens’ can be used in many contexts. You have an opportunity to research and discuss four areas, chosen at the start of the academic year by the tutors teaching the Module. The themes may include (but are not limited to): Law and the Visual; Law and Emotion; Law and Psychology; Law and Architecture; Law and Fashion; Law and Dissent; Law and Geography; Law and Popular Culture, Law and Theatre. By analysing and researching the intersection between law and other disciplines you will develop an insight into the rich and varied ways in which a law contributes to knowledge in diverse areas.

You will work independently, and in groups, to conduct directed and self-directed research including accurately identifying issue(s) which require further research for each theme. You will locate and critically evaluate accurate, current, and relevant information from a range of appropriate sources including primary legal sources. You will learn how to effectively organize and communicate information orally both individually and as part of a team.

The aim is to encourage you to consider the law in a wide context and begin to explore new areas that support and encourage you to research and develop new skills.